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snydley100
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2017
Posts: 75
Location: Dansville, NY
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 Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 7:45 am Post subject: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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I'm having trouble getting my horn to work on my 1974 Ghia convertible. I took the steering wheel off to check the contact of the steering wheel horn ring and the brass spring piece that contacts the ring. Well, over the years the spring has a hole worn through it from use. Is there a replacement for this part or must I buy a whole new turn signal switch to replace this piece?
Thanks,
Snyde |
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hylomatt
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2016
Posts: 378
Location: Florida
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| Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 6:05 pm Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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are you talking about this part? the copper-colored bent spring piece that the steering wheel's horn ring rubs around on?
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hylomatt
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2016
Posts: 378
Location: Florida
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trelms
Samba Member
Joined: August 06, 2015
Posts: 248
Location: Denver
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| Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 6:52 pm Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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I would not buy that 40$ one. I have and it lasted 6 months. Try to repair your original as stated make sure the turn signal cancel bits don't break and try to lube them.
Oem ones can be found for 100-200 I think.
https://www.bugcity.com/shop/shop.htm?pquery=turn+signal+switch
_________________
'74 Ghia Vert SOLD |
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snydley100
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2017
Posts: 75
Location: Dansville, NY
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| Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:19 pm Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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| hylomatt wrote: |
are you talking about this part? the copper-colored bent spring piece that the steering wheel's horn ring rubs around on?
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YES! I guess I should have taken a picture of mine and uploaded it. Mine's got a hole in it. My turn signals work fine, but I'm having trouble with the horn. I want to know if just that copper/brass piece is replaceable, or if I have to buy the turn signal switch assembly in order to get it. I guess if I have to I'll also order the "ring" that it contacts, too.
Thanks,
Snyde |
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snydley100
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2017
Posts: 75
Location: Dansville, NY
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| Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:29 pm Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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Mine's got a pretty good sized hole in it, not sure about soldering it. I thought I might try to reform mine, straightening out the part that contacts the ring, making that part longer, and making the end of it shorter to see if I can get another section of the spring part to contact the ring. Before I spend $200+ on a NOS German part I'll go to the junkyard and see if I can find a good one.
Thanks,
Snyde |
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snydley100
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2017
Posts: 75
Location: Dansville, NY
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| Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 7:16 am Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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| hylomatt wrote: |
are you talking about this part? the copper-colored bent spring piece that the steering wheel's horn ring rubs around on?
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Is this the $40. one, or one of the more expensive ones? How does the "quality" of the piece look?
Thanks,
Snyde |
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hylomatt
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2016
Posts: 378
Location: Florida
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| Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 8:35 am Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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| that's just a photo that i pulled from the galleries. i would want a 1-piece unit myself. i'd try to track down a good, original. it's not that big of a deal if you order a cheaper remake. you might be replacing it again sooner than you intend though. i haven't worn one out but i recently replace the blinker column switch on my vw thing and the contacts that hang down below the column head housing are different from original. i keep having to push the connector on when my horn or blinkers don't work. it just wiggles its way off sometimes. |
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swavananda
Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2009
Posts: 889
Location: Can o' Scruz
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| Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 11:03 am Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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Agreed and same scenario .
But i would recommend you try to solder a piece of patch copper over the worn section before anything else. Start with the cheapest and easiest first. |
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2875
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 11:14 am Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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| swavananda wrote: |
Agreed and same scenario .
But i would recommend you try to solder a piece of patch copper over the worn section before anything else. Start with the cheapest and easiest first. |
My experience with this part is this: The original part would not flick from brights to dimmed lights. I replaced it with a new aftermarket part. It malfunctioned within a year. I then showed both parts to a classic VW specialist parts supplier (in Sydney, Australia) and he told me that the aftermarket part had a lifespan of about 1 year and that I was better off repairing the German VW original. I was able to do the repair myself. It took 10 minutes. 20 months later, the repaired original is still working perfectly.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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snydley100
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2017
Posts: 75
Location: Dansville, NY
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| Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2017 7:52 am Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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I was able to bend, and reform the copper piece so that part of it that didn't originally contact the horn steering wheel ring now makes contact and the horn works great! Someone posted a link to some flat copper and I'm gonna buy that and try to make that piece, just in case this fails.
Thanks for all the help, guys,
Snyde |
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snydley100
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2017
Posts: 75
Location: Dansville, NY
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| Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2017 12:46 pm Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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| kiwighia68 wrote: |
| swavananda wrote: |
Agreed and same scenario .
But i would recommend you try to solder a piece of patch copper over the worn section before anything else. Start with the cheapest and easiest first. |
My experience with this part is this: The original part would not flick from brights to dimmed lights. I replaced it with a new aftermarket part. It malfunctioned within a year. I then showed both parts to a classic VW specialist parts supplier (in Sydney, Australia) and he told me that the aftermarket part had a lifespan of about 1 year and that I was better off repairing the German VW original. I was able to do the repair myself. It took 10 minutes. 20 months later, the repaired original is still working perfectly. |
Well, I guess I won't buy the $40. aftermarket part then, I've got other places to waste my money, (damn money pit).  
What did you do to fix yours, fabricate and solder a new piece of copper to your original
copper piece, or remove the old copper, make a new piece, and rivet it to the original location?
Thanks,
Snyde |
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2875
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2017 1:07 pm Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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| snydley100 wrote: |
| kiwighia68 wrote: |
| swavananda wrote: |
Agreed and same scenario .
But i would recommend you try to solder a piece of patch copper over the worn section before anything else. Start with the cheapest and easiest first. |
My experience with this part is this: The original part would not flick from brights to dimmed lights. I replaced it with a new aftermarket part. It malfunctioned within a year. I then showed both parts to a classic VW specialist parts supplier (in Sydney, Australia) and he told me that the aftermarket part had a lifespan of about 1 year and that I was better off repairing the German VW original. I was able to do the repair myself. It took 10 minutes. 20 months later, the repaired original is still working perfectly. |
Well, I guess I won't buy the $40. aftermarket part then, I've got other places to waste my money, (damn money pit). ](*,) :shock:
What did you do to fix yours, fabricate and solder a new piece of copper to your original
copper piece, or remove the old copper, make a new piece, and rivet it to the original location?
Thanks,
Snyde |
Hi Snyde, No, mine had a different defect. It didn't involve working on the copper piece. I had to raise the contact point under the switch arm. By the way, I derived greater satisfaction from repairing an old part like this than from installing a new one, not to mention the dollars saving.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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snydley100
Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2017
Posts: 75
Location: Dansville, NY
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| Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2017 6:05 pm Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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| kiwighia68 wrote: |
| snydley100 wrote: |
| kiwighia68 wrote: |
| swavananda wrote: |
Agreed and same scenario .
But i would recommend you try to solder a piece of patch copper over the worn section before anything else. Start with the cheapest and easiest first. |
My experience with this part is this: The original part would not flick from brights to dimmed lights. I replaced it with a new aftermarket part. It malfunctioned within a year. I then showed both parts to a classic VW specialist parts supplier (in Sydney, Australia) and he told me that the aftermarket part had a lifespan of about 1 year and that I was better off repairing the German VW original. I was able to do the repair myself. It took 10 minutes. 20 months later, the repaired original is still working perfectly. |
Well, I guess I won't buy the $40. aftermarket part then, I've got other places to waste my money, (damn money pit).
What did you do to fix yours, fabricate and solder a new piece of copper to your original
copper piece, or remove the old copper, make a new piece, and rivet it to the original location?
Thanks,
Snyde |
Hi Snyde, No, mine had a different defect. It didn't involve working on the copper piece. I had to raise the contact point under the switch arm. By the way, I derived greater satisfaction from repairing an old part like this than from installing a new one, not to mention the dollars saving. |
Yes, I can understand fixing something instead of buying new, I also feel that way. I "re-formed" the copper piece, in my switch, and so far the horn works great! I think when it eventually fails I'll buy some of that flat copper material and try to make my own. I'm just not sure how I'm gonna rivet it back on, but I'll worry about that when the time comes.
Thanks for the help and conversation,
Snyde |
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jeffrey8164 
Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2018
Posts: 3818
Location: Georgia
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 7:34 pm Post subject: Re: Turn signal switch - horn brass "spring" |
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Wow!
I didn’t realize that they’re that much.
I still have one in the box I got back in 96
Interestingly there are two extra wires on it.
Hope that doesn’t mean there are surprises in store. |
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